


the wrong time is not always wrong (not if you use it well)

by kara_pendragon



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Coffee Shop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:20:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27282559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kara_pendragon/pseuds/kara_pendragon
Summary: “Excuse me, I’m sorry to bother you but,” Rory looked for a way to explain his predicament without sounding absolutely insane, he could hardly ask if the man was a time traveller from the next century travelling with an alien from a faraway planet “I believe we might have a common friend, or acquaintance maybe?”-OR-Rory and Graham have an accidental meeting.
Relationships: Graham O’Brien & Rory Williams
Comments: 1
Kudos: 33
Collections: Missed Connections Exchange





	the wrong time is not always wrong (not if you use it well)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FictionPenned](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FictionPenned/gifts).



> Hey y’all! This is definitely not my usual brand but I signed up to this months ago and then forgot about it. I tried to give this a Fall feel but I also tried to write In British English instead of my usual American English and it went weirdly. I’m posting this in the morning (in my time zone anyway) which is unusual for me. I hope you enjoy this!

Rory wasn’t quite sure what he had seen out of the corner of his eye, or if he had seen anything at all. He was sitting at a table outside the cafe on the street corner, a battered paperback in his hand. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, in fact it was what he did every Tuesday. 

Somewhere in his peripheral vision, a familiar shade of blue flashed, causing him to turn his head, he could almost swear he heard a faint ‘vworp’ floating on the autumn breeze. The logical part of his brain fought to squash down the hopeful part but he turned his head in spite of it.

He didn’t immediately see anything of interest and thought that it must have been a figment of his imagination. He was fully aware of the fact that the doctor couldn’t come to New York, it was impossible. In the first couple months there he though he saw the Tardis around every corner, tricks of the mind of course but he still hoped he’d get to say a proper goodbye.

He began to turn his head back to his book but a grey haired man in an equally grey knitted jumper caught his attention and held it. Something in his walk, or his slightly too scuffed shoes, spoke of a time further away than Rory had ever dreamed of seeing again. 

He spent a few moments weighing the pros and cons of introducing himself to the kindly looking stranger, ultimately deciding that it could do no harm, he might even get a new friend out of it. Rory stood from his chair and walked up to the man, trying to think of something to say,

“Excuse me, I’m sorry to bother you but,” Rory looked for a way to explain his predicament without sounding absolutely insane, he could hardly ask if the man was a time traveller from the next century travelling with an alien from a faraway planet “I believe we might have a common friend, or acquaintance maybe?” That didn’t sound insane right, it was fairly ambiguous, no mentions of sci-if worthy adventures or some such,

“Maybe, have ever been to Sheffield?” Graham didn’t know why a random man was talking to him but the conversation would be welcome while he was trying to get back to the fam.

“I haven’t but do you know a man, about 5’11, has brown hair, always wears a suit and has a love for bow ties and fezzes?” It was slightly less vague this time, if the guy knew the doctor this would have to make him realise right? Not many people fit that description.

“I have a friend who loves bow ties and fezzes, but she’s certainly not a 5’11 bloke, more of a 5’5 blonde lady.” The doctor had said things about having been a Scottish man but Graham could hardly bring that up with a man from 70 years ago. The likelihood of a transphobic tirade was too much for him to be bothered with.

“Do you want a coffee?” Rory wasn’t sure how many people loved bow ties and odd red hats but the coincidence of a lost looking man from Britain knowing someone who did seemed slim enough to want to inquire further. Maybe he did know the doctor, what luck would that be. For him that was, if the stranger was travelling with doctor then the chances of him being able to come back to fetch him was pretty slim.

“Ok, yeah, why not.” He was slightly confused as to why a random middle aged man in New York would want to have coffee with him but he seemed nice and Graham genuinely had nothing else to do. He hadn’t exactly intended to end up in the 1950s but the tardis did strange things sometimes.

Rory resumed his seat at the wrought iron table in front of the cafe and gestured for Graham to join him, he pulled out the opposite chair and sat down. A smartly dressed waitress came over and took his order, then Graham pulled a pickle sandwich wrapped in plastic from his pocket and set about eating it.

“So, why did you think I knew your friend? Graham took a bite of his sandwich, chewed, swallowed then thanked the waitress when she returned with the coffee. “When I’m from cafes don’t have waiter service anymore.”

“You mean where.” At this point Rory was all but certain that this man knew the doctor, no one slips up like that if they aren’t a time traveller.

“Oh, yes, where. Sheffield doesn’t have waiter service cafés” Graham fumbled his words slightly, Rory decided to just ask outright, what harm could it do.

“Your blonde friend, I have a feeling I know her, she wouldn’t happen to go by the doctor would she?” Graham’s face flicked through ten emotions in the space of about five seconds, finally settling on recognition.

“You travelled with her too?”

“In a manner yes, just not with the same version as you. I have no clue how you ended up here though, I thought it was impossible.”

“The TARDIS malfunctioned, I think we hit some kind of disturbance. I came out to see where we were but when I turned around again it had vanished.” Rory took a moment to process this, then responded,

“Whatever happens, I doubt she’ll be able to get back here, if you wait a while then I can find you a taxi out of the city or something and then you can leave a signal.”

“A signal?”

“Like a crop circle or graffiti or something, it’s drastic but it’s the only way she’ll find you. If a miracle occurs then he might come back here but I doubt that even he can manage that.”

“And until we can do that?”

“We enjoy our coffee, how did you end up travelling with her anyway?”

“An encounter on a train, my wife and I put her up for a bit because she was sick then ended up helping the doc out. Grace - my wife - died that first time, there wasn’t any reason for me to stay in Sheffield, so my grandson and I joined her, along with a junior police officer my grandson knew back in school. Seems weird now, I’d almost rather be retired back home, I think I’ve seen enough weirdness to last a lifetime.” He paused for a second, pondering over what to say next. “How did you end up travelling with her, I’m assuming it was quite some time before I met her.”

“Through my girlfriend actually, my now wife. He met her when she was a child, crashed in her garden. Then left her for about a decade and reappeared when she was adult, we travelled together, the three of us, and the doctors wife sometimes but she had a tendency to pop up and then disappear again. It was by far the weirdest time of my life, the funnest too, but all good things end I suppose.”

“Why did you leave?”

“It wasn’t much of a choice, we got sent back here by the angels and the doctor couldn’t come back to get us. Would’ve messed up the whole timeline. 2012 seems like a long way away now.”

“Wait, how long have you been here for?”

“7 years, maybe eight at this point, it’s not bad, I’ve got a house, I’ve got my wife, we’re happy. Travelling was fun but at some point you’ve got to just settle down.”

“Part of me wants to leave, it’s been fun but I’m too old for it, maybe it’d be nice to go home and just drive a mini bus for a coach company or something. I don’t want to leave Ryan though, and I don’t want to drag him away. At times I almost think he wants to leave too.” Graham sat in silence for a moment, thinking over his options, he couldn’t leave them behind, could he?

“Didn’t you say there were three of you, you, your grandson, and the police officer. What about her?” 

“Yaz won’t want to leave, I’d say she loves the doc more than Ryan and I. She’s, how do the young people say it, simping?”

“She’ll be okay you know, the Doctor I mean, as long as she isn’t travelling alone. Sometimes you’ve got to make the hard decision to leave, if it’s what’s best. You’ll do the right thing.”

“I hope I will, maybe -“ Graham was cut off by a whirring sound coming from the alley that ran down the side of the cafe, followed by a heavily accented voice shouting,

“Graham! Come on, we can’t stay here long, get a shift on!” He recognised it as the doctor’s voice instantly, Graham stood to leave and then looked back at Rory before he said, 

“Thanks for the coffee, and the advice, I can tell the doc hi from you if you like, what’s your name?”

“Do the right thing for you, and tell her that my wife and I say hello,” Graham began to walk away then Rory called out from behind him, “my names Rory by the way.”

“Thanks Rory.” He shouted back, Graham walked around around the corner, up to the rather conspicuous blue box sitting on the side of the street. He went through the slightly ajar door, calling out for the doctor standing at the console,

“Hey, Doc! I think I met a friend of yours!”

**Author's Note:**

> That’s a wrap, I hope you liked it, feel free to leave comments if you want. See you next time!


End file.
